This present disclosure relates generally to activation devices used in wellsite operations. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to activation devices, such as accumulators and chargers used therewith, for activating wellsite equipment, such as blowout preventers.
Various oilfield operations may be performed to locate and gather valuable downhole fluids. Oil rigs are positioned at wellsites, and downhole tools, such as drilling tools, are deployed into the ground to reach subsurface reservoirs. Once the downhole tools form a wellbore (or borehole) to reach a desired reservoir, casings may be cemented into place within the wellbore, and the wellbore completed to initiate production of fluids from the reservoir. Tubulars (or tubular strings) may be provided in the wellbore for passing subsurface fluids to the surface. Wellheads may be positioned about the wellbore at a surface end thereof to connect the tubulars to surface equipment.
Land-based or offshore wellsites may be provided with various equipment to facilitate capture of fluid from the wellbore. For example, blowout preventers may be positioned about a tubular at the wellhead to sever and/or seal the wellbore in the event of a blowout. The blowout preventers may have rams to engage the tubular and prevent the passage of fluid therethrough. Examples of blowout preventers are provided in Patent/App. Nos. WO2012/037173 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,367,396, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. Accumulators may be provided to activate the rams of the blowout preventers. Examples of accumulators are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 7,520,129 and 2008/0267786, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.